Ceramic composition having dispersion of nano-particles therein and methods of fabricating same
View Patent ↗Ceramic compositions having a dispersion of nano-particles therein and methods of fabricating ceramic compositions having a dispersion of nano-particles therein are described. In an example, a method of forming a composition having a dispersion of nano-particles therein includes forming a mixture of semiconductor nano-particles and ceramic precursor molecules. A ceramic matrix is formed from the ceramic precursor molecules. The ceramic matrix includes a dispersion of the semiconductor nano-particles therein. In another example, a composition includes a medium including ceramic precursor molecules. The medium is a liquid or gel at 25 degrees Celsius. A plurality of semiconductor nano-particles is suspended in the medium.
1. A composition, comprising:
a medium comprising ceramic precursor molecules, the medium a liquid or gel at 25 degrees Celsius, wherein the ceramic precursor molecules are thermal or ultra-violet (UV) labile β-chloropolysilsequioxane molecules, and wherein the medium further comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of toluene, ethylbenzene, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, and cyclohexane; and
a plurality of semiconductor nano-particles suspended in the medium.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor nano-particles are quantum dots.
3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the quantum dots are hetero-structure quantum dots having an outer insulator coating.
4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the quantum dots each comprise an anisotropic nano-crystalline core comprising a first semiconductor material and having an aspect ratio between, but not including, 1.0 and 2.0, and a nano-crystalline shell comprising a second, different, semiconductor material at least partially surrounding the anisotropic nano-crystalline core.
5. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the quantum dots each comprise a nano-crystalline core comprising a first semiconductor material, a nano-crystalline shell comprising a second, different, semiconductor material at least partially surrounding the nano-crystalline core, and a compositional transition layer disposed between, and in contact with, the nano-crystalline core and nano-crystalline shell, the compositional transition layer having a composition intermediate to the first and second semiconductor materials.
6. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the quantum dots each comprise a nano-crystalline core comprising a first semiconductor material, a nano-crystalline shell comprising a second, different, semiconductor material at least partially surrounding the nano-crystalline core, a nano-crystalline outer shell at least partially surrounding the nano-crystalline shell, the nano-crystalline outer shell comprising a third semiconductor material different from the first and second semiconductor materials, and a compositional transition layer disposed between, and in contact with, the nano-crystalline shell and the nano-crystalline outer shell, the compositional transition layer having a composition intermediate to the second and third semiconductor materials.
7. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the outer insulator coating comprises a layer of material selected from the group consisting of silica (SiO x ), titanium oxide (TiO x ), zirconium oxide (ZrO x ), alumina (AlO x ), and hafnia (HfO x ).
8. A composition, comprising:
a medium comprising ceramic precursor molecules, the medium a liquid or gel at 25 degrees Celsius, wherein the ceramic precursor molecules are thermal or ultra-violet (UV) labile β-chloropolysilsequioxane molecules; and
a plurality of semiconductor nano-particles suspended in the medium, wherein the semiconductor nano-particles are hetero-structure quantum dots having an outer insulator coating, wherein the hetero-structure quantum dots each comprise:
a nano-crystalline core comprising a first semiconductor material;
a nano-crystalline shell comprising a second, different, semiconductor material at least partially surrounding the nano-crystalline core; and
a compositional transition layer disposed between, and in contact with, the nano-crystalline core and nano-crystalline shell, the compositional transition layer having a composition intermediate to the first and second semiconductor materials.
9. The composition of claim 8 , wherein the medium is solvent-free.
10. The composition of claim 8 , wherein the hetero-structure quantum dots each further comprise a nano-crystalline outer shell at least partially surrounding the nano-crystalline shell, the nano-crystalline outer shell comprising a third semiconductor material different from the first and second semiconductor materials, and a compositional transition layer disposed between, and in contact with, the nano-crystalline shell and the nano-crystalline outer shell, the compositional transition layer having a composition intermediate to the second and third semiconductor materials.
11. The composition of claim 8 , wherein the outer insulator coating comprises a layer of material selected from the group consisting of silica (SiO x ), titanium oxide (TiO x ), zirconium oxide (ZrO x ), alumina (AlO x ), and hafnia (HfO x ).
12. The composition of claim 8 , wherein the nano-crystalline core of each of the hetero-structure quantum dots has an aspect ratio between, but not including, 1.0 and 2.0.
13. A composition, comprising:
a medium comprising ceramic precursor molecules, the medium a liquid or gel at 25 degrees Celsius, wherein the ceramic precursor molecules are thermal or ultra-violet (UV) labile β-chloropolysilsequioxane molecules; and
a plurality of semiconductor nano-particles suspended in the medium, wherein the semiconductor nano-particles are hetero-structure quantum dots having an outer insulator coating, wherein the hetero-structure quantum dots each comprise:
a nano-crystalline core comprising a first semiconductor material;
a nano-crystalline shell comprising a second, different, semiconductor material at least partially surrounding the nano-crystalline core; and
a nano-crystalline outer shell at least partially surrounding the nano-crystalline shell, the nano-crystalline outer shell comprising a third semiconductor material different from the first and second semiconductor materials, and a compositional transition layer disposed between, and in contact with, the nano-crystalline shell and the nano-crystalline outer shell, the compositional transition layer having a composition intermediate to the second and third semiconductor materials.
14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the medium is solvent-free.
15. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the outer insulator coating comprises a layer of material selected from the group consisting of silica (SiO x ), titanium oxide (TiO x ), zirconium oxide (ZrO x ), alumina (AlO x ), and hafnia (HfO x ).
16. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the nano-crystalline core of each of the hetero-structure quantum dots has an aspect ratio between, but not including, 1.0 and 2.0.
17. A composition, comprising:
a medium comprising ceramic precursor molecules, the medium a liquid or gel at 25 degrees Celsius, wherein the ceramic precursor molecules are thermal or ultra-violet (UV) labile β-chloropolysilsequioxane molecules; and
a plurality of semiconductor nano-particles suspended in the medium, wherein the semiconductor nano-particles are hetero-structure quantum dots having an outer insulator coating a layer of material selected from the group consisting of silica (SiO x ), titanium oxide (TiO x ), zirconium oxide (ZrO x ), alumina (AlO x ), and hafnia (HfO x ).
18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the hetero-structure quantum dots each comprise a nano-crystalline core having an aspect ratio between, but not including, 1.0 and 2.0.
19. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the medium is solvent-free.